Forty-three-year-old Huang Chu-wang (黃主旺), already notorious as an underworld figure, is linked to cases of abduction, murder and extortion.
Huang ended up in jail for the first time around 15 years ago for his involvement in a Changhua County (彰化) kidnapping.
In Sept. 1993, Hsieh Tung-yun (謝通運), a branch leader of the Tiendaomeng (天道盟) gang, along with his bodyguard, were shot to death on the street by Huang's followers.
The police later issued a circular order for the arrest of Huang in connection to the case.
But the source of Huang's greatest infamy was the murder of Cheng Ming-hao (鄭明浩) in Jan, 1997. Cheng was a campaign supporter of Lin Ma-shang (林媽賞) who was then bidding for the secretary-general's post at the farmer's cooperative in Fangyuan township (芳苑鄉農會), Changhua County.
Huang reportedly abducted Cheng in broad daylight on the street, and killed him later the same day.
More than two months later, the police arrested Cheng in neighboring Yunlin County.
Huang later was sentenced to death -- twice -- for the murders of both Hsieh and Cheng.
Before his escape yesterday, Huang had been held at the Taichung Detention House waiting another trial on separate charges.
By comparison, Cheng's alleged partner in yesterday's jail break is something of a novice.
On Feb. 9, 1999, then 20-year-old Yang Han-peng (楊漢鵬) and two other men walked into a convenience store in Tali City, Taichung County.
One of the robbers, later identified as Wu Chih-ming (吳志明), allegedly killed the clerk during a struggle that ensued.
RSS